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A running theme during the 2010 season was that longtime offensive line coach Hudson Houck, 68, was on his last legs and was about to retire.

That wasn't the case.

In fact, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones jokes all the time how Houck is the highest-paid offensive line coach in the game at $1 million per season. But there were concerns about the lack of improvement from several young offensive linemen -- most recently Robert Brewster, a third-round pick in 2009.

And when the Cowboys drafted USC tackle Tyron Smith, the question again was raised about Houck's ability to work with young players.

"I love young players," Houck said. "I’m excited. I think any coach that has the opportunity to work with a guy this talented is excited. And that’s our job as coaches."

Houck, entering his 29th season, has been an NFL coach longer than Smith, 20, has been alive. Yet as Houck enters the last year of his contract with the Cowboys, this might be his last season with the club, unless he receives a new deal or he decides to retire.

Sometimes older coaches say they don't relate well with younger players, and use that as a reason why that specific player struggles to develop.

Houck, who seems to have a good relationship with the veterans, probably takes too much criticism for younger players' inability to move to another level in their development. Houck should get some credit for Doug Free moving into the starting lineup, and Free was drafted the same year as Brewster.

Tom Ciskowski, the Cowboys' director of college and pro scouting, said sometimes young players fail because they're afraid of the NFL's big stage.

Jones doesn't think Houck has problems developing young players.

"I do not think that there is validity to that," he said. "One of the things I felt comfortable with in making this pick [Smith] was that he was going to get to come in and be coached and tutored by Hudson. And I think that is a big plus. I think that’s a big plus for Tyron, and I think it’s a big plus for the Cowboys."

Our offseason Cowboys position series continues with a look at the offensive tackles.

Players: Doug Free (free agent), Alex Barron (free agent), Marc Colombo (signed through 2012), Sam Young (signed through 2013), Jermey Parnell (signed through 2011) and Robert Brewster (signed through 2012).

Top free agents: Matt Light, New England Patriots; Jonathan Scott, Pittsburgh Steelers; Willie Colon, Pittsburgh Steelers; Jonathan Goodwin, New Orleans Saints and Jermon Bushrod, New Orleans Saints.

Top draft prospects: Nate Solder, Colorado; Tyron Smith, USC; Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin; Anthony Castonzo, Boston College and Benjamin Ijalana, Villanova.

2010 review: Free was the strongest of Dallas' group and Barron the weakest of all the lineman who saw action. Barron's three holding calls in the season opener at Washington -- one of which negated a game-winning touchdown -- set the tone for his season. Free allowed just five sacks and proved he could handle the switch from the right side. Colombo missed the opener while recovering from knee surgery and battled nagging injuries most of the season. Colombo's durability is an issue moving forward, making the line an area the Cowboys will explore in the draft. Offensive line coach Hudson Houck liked the development of Young, and there is hope Parnell can emerge into something down the line.

Offseason preview: Free is a stable force, but there are questions about Colombo and whether Young and Parnell can emerge as consistent contributors for 2011 and beyond. Brewster has been a major disappointment from that 2009 draft class and it's doubtful he'll return next season. Drafting a tackle is a must, especially if you get one in the early rounds who can contribute right away.

Need meter (1-5): 4

ROBERT BREWSTER

Position: Tackle
Height: 6-4. Weight: 320
College: Ball State
How acquired: Third round pick, 2009

What he did in 2010: Brewster was on the practice squad since October after spending four weeks on the active roster. His only impact came during the preseason. When the Cowboys were down three offensive linemen, including both tackles, Brewster had to start at tackle vs. San Diego. There were questions of then-coach Wade Phillips about sitting Tony Romofor the Chargers game with Brewster starting. Brewster didn't play that badly and Romo survived without getting hit. But it was clear Brewster, despite his second season in the league, just wasn't ready to play full-time.

What to look for in 2011: It will be interesting to see if Brewster is here if at all. The Cowboys liked the ability of Sam Young, another young tackle, and there is a thought the team will draft an offensive lineman this spring. Brewster still needs work from a technique standpoint and must get stronger.

Quotable: "I'm pretty confident in what I can do. I'm not really afraid of competition and welcome it. You just want your opportunity when it comes and hopefully it will happen soon." - Robert Brewster

Bryan Broaddus’ Scout’s Eye:He was in a competition with Sam Young for the right tackle spot and Young looked better than Brwester did at right tackle. Brewster has to remake himself physically. He's going to have to get a lot stronger, work on his footwork and technique. You can tell Sam Young played at a big time program like Notre Dame and even though Brewster had a year of experience on him, you can tell he didn't play and he was like a rookie. Brewster was a year behind. Sam Young was the better player.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys have reached an injury settlement with safety Stephen Hodge, which ends his time with the organization.

Hodge, a TCU product, who was a sixth-round pick from the 2009 draft, hasn't played in a regular season game because of knee injuries.

Last year, Hodge was out for the season while undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee. He played in only one game, a preseason contest against Tennessee.

As Hodge was rehabbing from that injury this season, he suffered a setback when doctors discovered he needed to undergo knee surgery again, this time on the right knee. Hodge underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee in mid-October.

Recently fired coach Wade Phillips was fond of Hodge and hopeful he could become a force on special teams and on certain defensive packages.

However, it hasn't worked out.

When the team makes the Hodge decision official, it would mark the sixth player from the 2009 draft class that has been released. Only third rounder, tackle Robert Brewster was re-signed to the team.

The Cowboys drafted 12 players from the 2009 draft class and only five remain with the team as of today.

Offensive tackle Robert Brewster will return to Valley Ranch as a member of the Cowboys' practice squad.

Brewster, a third-round pick in 2009, was waived Friday to make room for Jesse Holley on the 53-man roster. He cleared waivers.

The good news is that the Cowboys can continue trying to develop a player they drafted with the 75th overall pick last year. The bad news is that Brewster wasn't good enough for any other team to claim off of waivers.

IRVING, Texas -- The last practice before a three-day weekend for the Cowboys didn't have any changes regarding who missed practice.

Sam Hurd (hip), Dez Bryant (hip and ribs), Jason Witten (knee), Marc Colombo (knee) and Kyle Kosier (knee) missed practice for the second consecutive day.

As far as practice is concerned the Cowboys focused on punt and kick returns, Terence Newman and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah returned punts and muffed a few.

Also, the Cowboys wanted to work on their Dime defense, Red Zone offense and defense, certain run plays, defensive coverages and some work on the Tennessee Titans, the next opponent.

One funny thing at practice. Backup tackle Robert Brewster walked onto the practice field with his jersey on backwards.

Bradie James pointed out to him and he quickly changed it.

Thoughts on Cowboys-Dolphins preseason game:

*With the final preseason game upon us, the final cuts to the league-mandated roster size of 53 are near. Roster reductions at this point are always difficult for teams that have a great deal of talent but that must now part ways with players.

These players generally fall into three areas. One is the veteran players whom clubs have worked with for many years and who have been highly productive throughout their careers but are no longer needed because of new talent. The second involves players who are new to the program but need a year or more on the practice squad to develop and who could potentially be of service in Week 8, when there is that pressing injury to a starter or depth issues. The third is the college or pro free agent who looked like a good fit when signed but has no chance of developing with the team.

How should teams use this final cutdown? Let’s use the Rams as an example. To me, the Rams are talent-poor, but now here is an opportunity or a second chance to add players to their roster in the hope that they are much better than the players they have on the current roster.

As training camp wore on, you could see where you were going to struggle. Good teams can benefit from this cut to 53 as well. Smart teams will understand who their 53rd player is and study the wire intently to determine if that player is really better than a guy on that wire.

The cut to 53 can be considered a second draft for NFL teams. Some teams will benefit and others will miss an opportunity to make their roster a little stronger and deeper.

*I was surprised the other night after the Texans loss to hear Wade Phillips offer that he was debating playing the starters some Thursday night against the Dolphins.

I understand that Phillips was upset and, after watching that game myself, can understand why. On Tuesday, Phillips said that selected starters would get work in the game but Tony Romo would not. Wise move on Phillips part.

The last preseason game is about trying to get all your players through the game healthy, even the players you are going to release. If they wind up on IR, that’s a cost to the club.

Health of the squad is the No. 1 concern in this game. With the way that the Cowboys have struggled with injuries in camp to key players, why would you even risk it?

The Cowboys’ staff will have 10 days to get the team rested and ready to play against the Redskins. The problems we have seen in the running game and defending the run in these last two preseason games against San Diego and Houston need to be addressed. The return of Kyle Kosier and Marc Colombo to the lineup would be a huge boast.

This offense doesn’t run the ball the same way when you have Alex Barron or Robert Brewster at right tackle. Barron is not a nasty player like Colombo on the edge, and Brewster just doesn’t know better at this point.

Montrae Holland is a limited foot athlete and struggles to get to the second level and to work with Doug Free on combination blocks. Kosier is an athlete like Free -- he knows how to block in space.

On the defensive side, a return of Marcus Spears could add more stoutness to the line. Love Jason Hatcher the nickel player, but I have concerns about Hatcher the 65- to 70-play starter. Keith Brooking and his sideline-to-sideline play will also be a welcome sight.

The 10 days of preparation from here to the season opener are more important than two meaningless series against the Dolphins on Thursday night.

*Rookie linebacker Sean Lee is going to be a good football player. You can see it when he practices and he will flash during games.

When I heard about the new plan for Lee, it made me stop and try to find the answers. I didn’t have the opportunity to study Lee in college at Penn State, but I do have several friends around the NFL whose views I value that did.

The one underlying thought was that Lee was a fast-flow player in at Penn State. This means that he saw the ball and was gone.

In the NFL, you have responsibilities to fit in the scheme, read the ball, then go make the play. In watching Lee the last two games, it made perfect sense. Lee was reading too fast and not completely playing the scheme. If you don’t play the scheme, you can create problems for the rest of the defense because you create holes or gaps in the defense.

In Lee’s case, reading too fast allowed the opposition to make plays when he was out of position. Usually the speed or the pace of the game is too much for a rookie, but in this case, Lee needs to develop a better understanding of what his responsibilities are on defense. Then he can continue to develop as the linebacker that the Cowboys drafted him to be.

OXNARD, Calif. -- The Cowboys' second practice was in helmets and shoulder pads. The previous two practices were done without helmets and shoulder pads. Wade Phillips said his players are tired and he wants to take it easy on them.

The Cowboys have three practices left in the next two days before breaking camp for Houston on Friday.

Here's what went down:

*Kevin Ogletree joined the injured list on Tuesday afternoon with a right hamstring strain. Ogletree is day-to-day. Kyle Kosier (knee), Marc Colombo (knee), Dez Bryant (ankle), John Phillips (knee), Gerald Sensabaugh (shoulder), Keith Brooking (shoulder), Stephen Hodge (knee) and Marcus Spears missed the action. Spears said his goal is to return for the season opener. Bryant looked pretty good running during his rehab. He didn't make any cuts. Sensabaugh and Brooking also did some running.

*Kicker David Buehler attempted field goals and went 6-for-7. He was wide right from 33 yards. Buehler went 3-for-7 last Thursday and didn't attempt any field goals in the San Diego game, but still worked on the side. Buehler unofficially made kicks from 20, 31 twice, 35, 38 and 39.

*Tackle Alex Barron was limited in practice. He worked with the first team at right tackle during the 11-on-11 drills but was taken out as a precaution for Robert Brewster. Brewster did a fine job at right tackle with the first team and he made the move to left tackle with the second team. He's getting off the ball quicker and doesn't appear to have any problems in the pass rush. Brewster heard linebacker Victor Butler beefing at him after he was knocked down on a nifty run by Marion Barber.

*Pat Watkins is fighting for a job. The safety has undrafted rookies Danny McCray and Barry Church on his tail for his job. In a one-on-one drill, Watkins knocked down two passes and picked off another. His best play was swiping a ball out of Martellus Bennett's hands. Watkins also received second-team reps at safety with McCray.

*There is difficulty anytime you try to block Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware. Almost every time. Ware blew by Brewster, who was playing left tackle, to get a sack on Jon Kitna. On the very next play, Spencer got a sack on Stephen McGee. Tackle Will Barker struggled to get Ware out of the way as Kitna completed a pass to Bennett. Spencer charged past Sam Young, this time at right tackle, for a sack on Kitna. Young was beaten again by Spencer as Bradie James charged up the gut of the defense to tip a McGee throw.

*Sam Hurd needs to practice better. In the one-on-one drill, Hurd ran an inside route instead of going outside, which forced an incompletion. On another pass by Tony Romo, the pass went outside toward the end zone when Hurd ran to the middle of the end zone. On both plays, Hurd was talked too by the coaches. But Hurd did catch a touchdown pass from Romo.

*One of the things running backs coach Skip Peete talks about is picking up the blitz. Felix Jones did a nice job of it when Butler came charging through. There were several formations where the Cowboys used Tashard Choice and Jones in the backfield. Choice scored out of the Razorback on a run up the middle.

*Secondary coach Dave Campo is not afraid to send his younger players against the veterans. Campo told rookie Akwasi Owusu-Ansah to press Roy Williams with Kitna at quarterback. Williams gained some space after the jam.

*Centers Andre Gurode and Phil Costa had some low snaps when the Cowboys were out of the shotgun.

OXNARD, Calif. -- For the second consecutive day, the Cowboys practiced without helmets and shoulder pads. The morning practice was a walkthrough deal and here are the highlights.

*Gerald Sensabaugh (shoulder), Keith Brooking (shoulder), Stephen Hodge (knee), Marcus Spears (knee), Kyle Kosier (knee), Marc Colombo (knee), John Phillips (knee) and Dez Bryant (ankle) missed practice.

PODCAST
Official scout of 103.3 FM ESPN Bryan Broaddus joins Ben and Skin with the latest news from Cowboys training camp. Listen

*Alex Barron got first-team reps at right tackle over Robert Brewster. Coach Wade Phillips said on Monday that Barron would start Saturday's game at Houston. While most of the players didn't have their ankles taped, Barron had both ankles taped. He's coming off a sprained ankle. Brewster, meanwhile, received reps at left tackle on the second team.

*Tight end Martin Rucker, who was signed last week, saw some reps with the second team. On a goalline play, H back Jason Pociask was with the first-team in a two-tight end set.

*With Keith Brooking out, Sean Lee lined up with Bradie James as a first-team inside linebacker. Lee practiced with his left hand wrapped. It didn't seem to give him any problems.

*The slow pace of the practice bothered offensive coordinator Jason Garrett a little because he made the offense run the same play twice after it repeated the same mistake.

*Pat Watkins and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah were getting third-team reps at safety. Mike Hamlin, in for Sensabaugh, got first-team reps with Alan Ball.

*Junior Siavii is still getting most of the second-team reps at nose tackle but the team likes Josh Brent, who has done an excellent job in camp and in the three preseason games.

*Cletis Gordon is still ahead of the game, along with Orlando Scandrick, he's on the second-team at cornerback.

*Tashard Choice looked a little sluggish on Tuesday morning. He stood away from the group with hands on his knees watching practice. He didn't miss any snaps with the second or third teams.

*In a surprise, Miles Austin, a Yankees fan from Jersey, wore a Texas Rangers baseball cap after practice. Stunning.

My thoughts from Monday’s practice:

*Wade Phillips has been consistent with the way he has practiced his squad here at camp since they have begun to play these preseason games. The second day after a game, he has the squad in caps and jerseys.

This was what I call a corrections practice. This was the first opportunity for the coaches to get with the players after viewing the game tape and work on any mistakes that would made in the San Diego game. The practice serves two purposes in that it allows the player’s bodies an extra day to recover before getting back into a 2-a-day practice on Tuesday and like mentioned before, work on mistakes or put in more of the offense and defensive scheme.

PODCAST
Official scout of 103.3 FM ESPN Bryan Broaddus joins Ben and Skin with the latest news from Cowboys training camp. Listen

The offense had a chance to work red zone, which has become the hot topic of conversation along with the lack of a consistent running game. The defense countered the offense with their dime packages and were effective the majority of the time with their first defense.

Where the offense got the better of the defense was when the second defense went into the drill and cornerback Cletis Gordon got caught peeking in the backfield as wide receiver Jesse Holley broke for the corner of the end zone to receive a touchdown pass on a nice throw and catch.

It was interesting to me that Phillips and the defensive staff had safety Danny McCray working the first dime group. McCray was a special teams ace in the San Diego game but did a poor job in coverage along with Cletis Gordon that allowed a big throw and catch by the Chargers on a misplayed coverage.

McCray and Barry Church have both been impressive enough to consider them potential 53-man roster candidates. Early in camp, McCray appeared to be the better of the two coverage wise. Not just because of McCray’s mistake, but Church has gained some ground some on McCray in that area.

On another note, Patrick Watkins was back at practice today after missing games and practices with a knee injury. There are several factors that are working against Watkins in his quest to make this final roster: his injury history, the play of the young safeties and his salary.

*Offensive tackle Alex Barron returned to practice after he too missed two games and several practices with an ankle injury. Barron was brought in to play the swing tackle as a better option for the club in case that Doug Free or Marc Colombo suffered an injury.

At the time of the signing, I thought it was a very smart move to bring him in because Robert Brewster surely wasn’t ready. But at least the club had the opportunity to see Brewster not only play right tackle but left as well.

Barron was put into the starting lineup at right tackle Monday. Barron has played both sides in his career, so this is nothing new for him.

The games I studied him were against the Saints and Vikings, but he was playing left tackle in both. It will be interesting watching Barron play the right side in the running game. He is a 318-pound man, but he is very lean and not always powerful. Barron likes to use his feet to help block the defender out of the play more so than power.

Would not be a bit surprised if you see the offense take more of an edge attack, trying to get the ball outside of Barron instead of a power game behind him. Now the Cowboys offensive line has a makeup of two good foot athletes at tackle and two large bodies on the inside at guard.

OXNARD, Calif. -- The Cowboys didn't have helmets or shoulder pads during Monday's walkthrough practice. Tuesday is a two-a-day.

Here are the highlights:

*Before practice, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant were working out with wide receivers coach Ray Sherman. Bryant also had a little chat with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

*Scott Sicko, Alex Barron, Martin Rucker and Mike Hamlin returned to practice. Rucker is a newly signed tight end who was fighting a hamstring problem.

*Kyle Kosier (knee), Marc Colombo (knee), John Phillips (knee), Gerald Sensabaugh (shoulder), Keith Brooking (shoulder), Stephen Hodge (knee) and Marcus Spears (knee) missed practice. Phillips said he might undergo ACL surgery when the team breaks came on August 27.

*Former MMA star Chuck Liddell talked to the team before practice, and when it was over guard Montrae Holland broke the team out with the Florida State Seminole chant.

*Hamlin got first-team reps at safety with Sensabaugh out. Sean Lee was on the first-team at inside linebacker in place of Brooking.

*Barron and Robert Brewster practiced at right tackle with the first team. Brewster got more reps with the first team than Barron. Brewster also got left tackle reps with the second team. Sam Young received second-team reps at right tackle.

*Martellus Bennett continued to run smoothly during practice despite a sprained ankle. Bennett is cutting on that left ankle and is making few mental mistakes, if any.

*Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett got on Austin for a mental mistake. Austin was supposed to run an out route; instead he ran a curl.

*The Cowboys showed a formation where Austin is in the backfield and Tony Romo fakes a pitch to him and then fires a pass to Roy Williams in the back of the end zone. The first time the Cowboys ran the play against the defense, Williams wasn't open. Romo still threw the pass into coverage and Williams caught it.

Thoughts from the San Diego preseason game:

*The biggest concern for the Cowboys going into this game against the Chargers was how were they able to effectively protect Tony Romo from a defense that had six sacks the previous week against the Bears.

With injuries to Marc Colombo and Alex Barron, Robert Brewster was placed into the lineup as the starter at right tackle. All the talk centered on how much help Brewster would need throughout the game not to expose Romo to any unnecessary hits. The offensive coaches were preparing several different combinations in the practice leading up to this game.

We observed tight end Jason Witten lined up in line next to Brewster; we also saw backs off set to that side as well. Offensive line coach Hudson Houck spoke of how the coaches had to be smart in the way they called plays in the game to attempt the help Brewster. There was no way that Brewster was going into this game to be left on an island to block.

His first series was decent even though on his first play, he was late out of his stance but managed to recover to finish the block. When Brewster struggles, it is when he doesn’t move his feet or they are not quick. In the Chargers game, his pass set was good for the most part, but there were some plays where the defender managed to get the edge on him.

His technique wasn’t pretty, and there were a couple of times where he could have been called for holding but wasn’t.

On the interception by Romo, there was a question about whether Brewster and Davis were at fault for the breakdown in protection on the twist, which put pressure in Romo’s face. In studying the play, Davis appears to be the one at fault, and not Brewster.

In the running game, I thought Brewster came off the ball well and got into his blocks with some pop. He wasn’t on the ground and he was able to move his feet, sustain his block and get some push.

The most impressive area about Brewster’s night was his ability to play both left and right tackle in this game. We talked about the transition that Free had to make from right to left because of the footwork, but Brewster was able to play both spots in the game without struggling a great deal. It actually was impressive.

*Linebacker Sean Lee was making his first appearance of the preseason after missing time in camp with a quad strain. Lee will fill the important role of the nickel linebacker but was surprised to see that when the first nickel went onto the field early in the first quarter, Bradie James and Keith Brooking were the linebackers. Maybe this was Wade Phillips’ way of not showing too much in the preseason with his nickel packages.

In the evaluation of Lee, it was a mixed bag. There is not a doubt in my mind that Lee has a nose for the football because I have seen him in practice, read the scheme, fight the block and get in on the tackle. Early in Lee’s time in the game, he really didn’t cut it loose. Plays that he normally would make in practice were done in caution.

When he plays cautious, he didn’t get off the blocks as well and he was standing around too many piles and not part of them. Was there a reason for this?

I do not believe it was for lack of preparation because Lee is extremely smart and instinctive for a rookie. Was it nerves? This might be your answer.

As the game wore on and into the fourth quarter, his play was better overall. He was solid in carrying his man in routes along with his zone drops. Lee was more physical in the running game playing off blocks and getting into those piles.

The Cowboys didn’t draft Lee to be a cautious player, but one that can be a force like he was in the fourth quarter.

*On our nightly Cowboys Training Camp Report (7-9p.m.) on 103.3 FM ESPN, my co-host RJ Choppy and I have talked about the "bubble players" on this team.

These are the players that are fighting for those last few spots on the 53-man roster. Guys like Leon Williams, Barry Church, Danny McCray, Josh Brent and Bryan McCann just to name a few. These are guys that need to step forward and not only show in practice what they can do but make plays in the game, so when the front office and coaches are sitting in those meetings they struggle with the decision of releasing them.

For guys like Church, McCray, McCann and Brent, it was a productive night. Church had a nice open field tackle on Ryan Mathews and a long fumble return. McCray had two solid tackles as the gunner on the punt team. Both of these young safeties will get more of an opportunity with Gerald Sensabaugh sidelined with a shoulder injury for the next 3-4 weeks.

Brent was powerful at the point pushing the pocket on Victor Butler’s safety. McCann was in great position for a breakup on a pass, but the receiver made an outstanding adjusting catch. Despite that play, McCann has been super competitive in the way he has gone about his business.

With only two games left in the preseason, these players have to continue to shine whenever they get the opportunity whether it’s practice or a game. As “bubble players,” their NFL jobs with the Cowboys depend on it.

Cowboys swing tackle Alex Barron is expected to return to practice today in Oxnard, Calif., and participate in individual drills.

Barron has missed more than a week's worth of practices with a sprained ankle. Robert Brewster and Sam Young have taken Barron's place in the lineup.

Barron's status for Saturday's fourth preseason game at Houston is undetermined, though his return this week is a sign he's getting closer to playing.

The Cowboys' training staff has been cautious with players returning from injuries because the team is participating in five preseason games. Rushing players back and risking a setback doesn't do anyone any good.


Keith Brooking and Gerald Sensabaugh, both of whom are out with shoulder injuries, will miss the rest of the preseason as a precaution.

The Cowboys moved to 2-1 in the preseason as a result of their 16-14 victory over San Diego. The Chargers said they came after the Cowboys with blitzes and thought they were more physical than the visitors.

Jerry Jones agreed. There were two injuries, one of which gave someone quality playing time. Here's who played well and who didn't.

Stock Up

Martellus Bennett. The young tight end is still playing with a swollen left ankle that looks like a softball. Bennett led the Cowboys in receiving yards with 40 on four catches, including a 19-yard touchdown reception.

Robert Brewster. Who said Tony Romo was scared about Brewster starting at right tackle? He had few mental mistakes, but a false start in the fourth quarter was the only glaring mistake. Brewster did have some help on pass plays, but he also moved to left tackle in the second half and performed well.

Terence Newman. Of the three turnovers by the Cowboys defense, Newman had a nice interception, jumping the route near the goal line on a Philip Rivers pass. Newman has performed well in training camp and in the preseason.

Cletis Gordon. Fighting for a fourth cornerback spot, Gordon struggled at times, but he made a great play on the ball, something he's done all summer, when he picked off a Jonathan Crompton pass in the fourth quarter.

Barry Church. Coaches tell young players that when your number is called, be ready. When Gerald Sensabaugh went down with a shoulder injury, Church moved to strong safety. He was credited with five tackles and a fumble recovery that set up the first offensive touchdown of the preseason for the Cowboys. Church ran 80 yards on the return. His status for the 53-man roster just got stronger.

Stock Down

Tony Romo. He looked bad. He misfired two passes to Miles Austin. He threw off his back foot while under pressure, leading to an interception. He was hurt by two drops, by Jason Witten and Austin, and threw seven incompletions.

Miles Austin. Yes, he did catch a touchdown. But he had a drop, and of the five passes thrown his way he caught just two. Austin has done an excellent job in training camp. But for one night, he didn't do so well.

Leon Williams. If you're looking for linebackers to cut, this is one guy who might not be in Landover, Md., when the season starts. Williams looked lost on defense at times. When Marcus Mason scored on a 4-yard run, Williams had a chance to blow him up but he moved behind Marcus Dixon, who was engaged with a blocker.

Sean Lee. The second-round pick looked a little lost out there. He was behind on some passes in the flat and was late in covering the tight ends. He did play a lot and as the game wore on and got better. We thought he was thinking a little too much and not reacting.

Herb Donaldson. On four carries he gained just 8 yards. Donaldson had a chance to gain a first down by breaking a tackle by Nathan Vasher, but he didn't stay in bounds and stumbled out of bounds short of the first down. Donaldson later dropped a swing pass. He's battling Lonyae Miller for spot on the practice squad and took a step back.

SAN DIEGO -- The Cowboys started Robert Brewster at right tackle on Saturday night, then moved him to left tackle in the second half.

There was much concern, mainly in the media, about whether Brewster would respond to the challenge of his first NFL start, though it was in the preseason.

Brewster did have some help blocking, with tight ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett getting on outside pass rushers and fullback Deon Anderson was also there to block.

But there were other times when Brewster was just one-on-one blocking for quarterback Tony Romo and in the second half on the blind side of Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee.

"I knew I was going to play a lot. I just prepared myself and went out there and kept it going," Brewster said. "I think I did OK. You never know until you get back and see that film."

The Chargers came after the Cowboys' quarterbacks with a blitz. Sometimes the blitzer got free on the inside, and that was noted by Jerry Jones.

"I thought Brewster made a good account [of himself]," Jones said. "That's something I have to look at on the tape, but from what I saw we didn’t have problems from Brewster's side. He was getting help. But a couple of times we got pressure was up the middle as I recall. We just basically let them hit on three big third downs."

Now Brewster wasn't perfect. He was called for a false start in the fourth quarter. However, because he played so well, it should give the Cowboys' coaches confidence in his long-term success.

Sam Young, a player the Cowboys also like at the tackle spot, was penalized twice in the fourth quarter.